Environmental Rules in Scranton, PA (2026)
5 verified environmental rules for Scranton, Pennsylvania, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Scranton's Stormwater Management Ordinance, Chapter 405 Part 3, requires an approved SWM site plan before most land-disturbing projects begin, exempts activity disturbing less than 5,000 square feet, and backs the rule with a $300-per-day summary penalty under Section 405-48.
Scranton Stormwater Management Ordinance
Significant RestrictionsScranton City Code § 405-25 and § 405-26
For all regulated activities, unless preparation of a SWM site plan is specifically exempted in § 405-26: (1) Preparation and implementation of an approved SWM site plan is required. (2) No regulated activities shall commence until the City of Scranton issues written approval of a SWM site plan, which demonstrates compliance with the requirements of this Part 3. ... Regulated activities that cr...
Erosion Control
Scranton requires erosion and sediment control best management practices on every earth-disturbing construction site under City Code § 405-25(D), part of the city's Stormwater Management Ordinance. BMPs must be designed, installed and maintained throughout construction to meet Pennsylvania Code Title 25 and Clean Streams Law standards, and larger sites also need an approved stormwater site plan.
Scranton Erosion & Sediment Control Rules
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 405-25(D)
For all regulated earth disturbance activities, erosion and sediment control BMPs shall be designed, implemented, operated, and maintained during the regulated earth disturbance activities (e.g., during construction), to meet the purposes and requirements of this Part 3 and to meet all requirements under Pennsylvania Code Title 25 and the Clean Streams Law. ... Various BMPs and their design sta...
Flood Zones
Scranton requires a permit from the Floodplain Administrator before any construction or development anywhere in an identified floodplain area. The City Planner in the Department of Licensing, Inspections and Permits holds that role, reviews plans against federal and state standards, and can revoke a permit for false statements or noncompliant work.
Scranton Floodplain Development Permit
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 445-14
Floodplain management requirements. ... Applicability. It shall be unlawful for any person, partnership, business or corporation to undertake, or cause to be undertaken, any construction or development anywhere within the City of Scranton unless a permit has been obtained from the Floodplain Administrator. ... Designation of the Floodplain Administrator. The City Planner within the Department o...
Vehicle Idling Restrictions
Scranton limits how long a tractor-trailer can idle on residential property under its zoning code's vehicle-parking standards: no more than 10 minutes between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m., with repairs during those hours barred except for clearly emergency work. The rule sits alongside separate limits on how many commercial vehicles a residential lot may host.
Scranton Tractor-Trailer Idling Time Limit
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 445-44B(5)(b)
In a residential district, the engine of a tractor of a tractor-trailer shall not be idled for more than 10 minutes on the property between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. or be repaired, except for clearly emergency repairs.
Flood Elevation Requirements
Scranton's Zoning Code requires new construction and substantial improvements in the AE, A1-30 and AH flood zones to elevate the lowest floor, including any basement, up to or above the regulatory flood elevation under § 445-14C(2)(a). That elevation, defined in § 445-14L(2), is the base flood elevation plus a required one-and-a-half-foot freeboard safety margin.
Scranton Requires 1.5 Feet of Flood Freeboard
Some RestrictionsScranton City Code § 445-14C(2)(a); § 445-14L(2)
Residential structures. In AE, A1-30, and AH Zones, any new construction or substantial improvement shall have the lowest floor (including basement) elevated up to, or above, the regulatory flood elevation. [...] REGULATORY FLOOD ELEVATION: The base flood elevation (BFE) or estimated flood height as determined using simplified methods plus a freeboard safety factor of 1 1/2 feet.